“Up to the 18th floor and my first meeting with David in a little while. The room’s long and adjoins a bedroom and the window overlooks 5th Avenue. He’s got a tape machine, a stereo and a moog sprawled around the floor and large room-service tables are everywhere. It’s about 2 a.m. Angie’s still up and is wearing a silver Japanese dress…David looks surprisingly well. He’s got a Japanese bell top on with huge bell trousers and clogs. He’s really into Japanese clothes at the moment.

He plays Drive-In Saturday, a beautiful song which grows on you. It’s Dylanish and it’s got a hell of a chord run down. He says he’s putting it out as the next single. A new version of Dudes on the album is a possibility if David’s satisfied with the final mix. To be honest, I much prefer our version. This seems too slow and he’s done it in a lower key. The sax sounds good in the hookline though – flows right through it. He talks about his plans for the new album. He’s calling it Aladdin Sane. It’s also the title of the fourth track he played which hasn’t yet got a vocal, but sounds great anyway. He’s really got the saxes back together again now and talks of using four saxes when he gets back. Three altos and one bari, and they’ve all got to wear white wide-lapel suits and have Mafia frizzled hairdos with glitter stuck on. He stands there describing it and his eyes are six months into the future already. He’s holding up well under pressure. No sign of a crack-up anyway and he talks enthusiastically. This supreme self-confidence shouldn’t be confused with ego. It’s great to see someone so positive. Guy Stevens [head of Island Records/former Mott manager] told me that to think positive was the all-important key to success and Bowie’s a walking example of this.”